


Wanting Her Back

by JustAnotherMask



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Movie Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 16:02:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20567069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAnotherMask/pseuds/JustAnotherMask
Summary: It hurts, wanting a friend to come back.





	Wanting Her Back

It had been years since White Diamond had forced Pink to trade pearls, and it was torture wanting a friend to come back.

All Pink could see when she looked at her new pearl was everything that was missing. Everything that she’d had with her old pearl. The new pearl was too quiet, too calm, too unwilling to bend the rules White had laid down. Even at the best of times this new pearl felt more like custodian to keep her out of trouble than anything close to the friendship she’d had before.

It wasn’t long until Blue noticed something was wrong. She was always the most attentive to Pink’s mood swings and this was one of the worst. Once she was paying attention it didn’t take long to figure out what was wrong. The glances at her old pearl, the occasional looks of frustration when her new pearl reminded her of proper etiquette or behavior. There was obviously something wrong with that pearl. Not defective of course. White would not have tolerated an obviously defective pearl. But there may have been a less noticeable flaw White’s rather light use wouldn’t have revealed. 

Not that she would ever suggest as such. Critiquing a gem’s pearl was the same as critiquing the gem itself and no one critiqued White. That meant that trying to get Pink a new, better, pearl was impossible. Instead Blue had to look at where exactly the pearl was flawed. Once looked at that way the answer was clear: the new pearl did not make Pink laugh. While Blue could not get Pink a new pearl she could get her a different gem. Spinels were often gifted to higher ranking gems that sometimes buckled under the stresses of their positions. Diamonds normally did not require such frivolities but Pink had always been special.

Designing the gem was easy enough. Old security footage of Pink’s interactions with her previous pearl gave the basic template for the spinel’s personality. The more serious aspects could be removed as they were currently being fulfilled by the new pearl. Instead, there would be a focus on frivolity and unyielding faith in and loyalty to Pink. After some consideration and input from several knowledgable kindergarteners, it was decided that the spinel would be programmed to be Pink’s best friend. That would assist in preventing it from straying during the times that Pink would inevitably be too busy with her duties as a Diamond to play as well as further ensure that it would do everything it could to make Pink happy. Blue couldn’t help but smile when she thought of how happy Pink would be when her new gem was finished.

Pink was ecstatic when Blue gave her the garden. A space all her own, where she could play with all the organic life she wanted, so long as it stayed in the garden of course. Even better, Blue had created a new gem just for her. A perfect new spinel. Pink couldn’t help smiling with glee when her new friend formed for the first time and wrapped her in a tight hug. Her laughter was more genuine than it had been in years.

It didn’t take long for the fractures in their relationship to begin to show. At first, everything had been perfect. A new gem that happily wanted to play all the games she had played with her old pearl. A new gem that enjoyed playing with organics, just like her old pearl. A tiring gem with nothing on her mind but making Pink laugh or smile, nothing like her old pearl. Before long Pink found it impossible to do anything but compare spinel to her old pearl and those comparisons always came back lacking. The games that she had once enjoyed became a chore as she remembered them being better with her pearl. The conversations and jokes paled before remembered times with her pearl. The time spent in the garden among amazing organic lifeforms became dull and drab when placed next to treasured memories.

In the end, she made her decision. She suggested a new game they could play. All Spinel had to do was stand still and wait for her to come back. Surely she would get bored and find new things to do. New games to play. Maybe she would go back to Blue and find a new friend, one that could look at her and see her for herself and not a friend long since lost. With each step she took towards the teleporter, Pink created a new justification until she was reached it and was whisked away to her new colony.

It had been centuries since Pink Diamond had suggested a new game to Spinel, and it was torture wanting a friend to come back.


End file.
